Electrolytic cell.



LA FAYETTE D. VORCE. ELECTRQLYTIC CELL. v APPLncATlon- FILED APR. 2. 191s.

1,286,844. Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

1 u g )n MQMQ?.

inafter set foi-th Y (sodium chlorid), yvarious types now in use do diaphragm as may be.

LAFAYETTE D. VORCE, OF SANDWICH, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 3, 191s.`

Application 1ed` April 2, 1918. Serial N o. 226,336.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LA FAYE'i'rE D. Voiron, a citizen. of the United' States, residing at Sandwich, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Cana-da, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a speciication. l

This invention relates to electrolytic cells; and it comprises an electrolytic cell having an outer casing, a cathode-supported diaphragm Within the casing and spaced apart' therefrom to form an alkali-chamber therebetween, a cover or clilorin dome carrying anodes, for the brine chamber within the diaphragm, luglike means on said cover for supporting its weight from the outer casing and a. sealing ring carried by the cathode for closing the alkali chamber and making al seal with said cover; all as more yfully hereand as claimed. Y

In principle, all diaphragm electrolytic cells for the manufacture of chlorin 'and caustic alkali from solutions of alkaline chlorids, such'as a soliit-ion of common salt are very simple; and the not differ ma.- terially from each other. or from the oiiginal Hargreaves-Bird cell. In actual construction, in view of the large/sized 'units' now in use, many technical ldifficulties arise in manufacturing a cell which is easy and inexpensive to build and of small cost in upkeep and operation.v All such cells have a brine chamber provided with a chlorin outlet and containingone or more anodes and a cathode or alkali chamber, separated from the brine chamber by a pervious Vwall or diaphragm. In practice the alkali chamber is generally open in the sense of not containing much liquid and the diaphragm is made of asbestos or the like, given mechanical support by a cathode of punched metal (copper or iron) or woven wire. The cells may be, and are, of various shapes and structure; but for simplicity of construction, it is best to make the alkali chamber annular and surrounding a. cylindrical brine chamber formed bythe cathode and diaphragm. The anodes are best mad graphite rods suspended from a cover and placed iiiannular arrangement as near the Vith sucli a type of cell structural details are highly important. in producing an appara tus easy to build and assemble and equally 'ported from and rests e of a plurality of" easy of disassemblage for repairs and cleaning. Simplicity and strength are equally imf portant. Most of the di iiiculties arise with regard to the diaphragm which must be thin and pervious and yet resist the weight of a considerable body of hot brine which it incloses, without leakage or undue seepage of liquid theretliroug Diametrical strains are of course resisted by the punched or Woven metal cathode; but it is in practice not desirable to impose any vertical stress on the ringlike diaphragm and cathode.

In the present invention these conditions are met by carrying all the Weight from an outer casing inclosing and forming one Wall of the alkali chamber. The cell coverv or chlorin dome, carrying lthe anodes, is supon the; top of this casing and the Weight of tlie'cathode-diaphragm structure or cathode pt) and the brine therein is carried from the bottom of this casing. In so doing, it is not necessary to place any substantial weight on the top of cathode and diaphragm; and everything can be readily assembled and disassembled by a lifting crane. In practice, I make this casing open-bottomed, providing it with an inner flange on which is a rim carrying the bottom of the cathode pot. This bottom may be a simple disk of concrete, reinforced'or not as the case may be. The cover of the whole structure may also be made of concrete and is so shaped as to close in and seal the. cathode pot while its Weight is carried by lugs resting on the outer casing; these lugs permitting easy lifting by a crane or the like. In some types of cover now in use. lifting must bebv attachment of lifting elements in the chlorin outlet; which is highly undesirable.

In the accompanying` illustration, I have shown, more or less diagrammaticallya an electrolytic cell within the present invention. As shown, it is of cylindrical sha-pe, although it might as readily be rectangular or another shape. With a cylindrical"`shape, construction, repair and upkeep-are easier. In this showing X Figure 1 is a lcentral vertical section of `such a cell, certain parts being shown 1n elevation; and

F ig. 2 is a fragment-al plan view of the top or`cover.

As shown the cell comprises a container 1 which maygbe of any' suitable met-al or material and ""ispprovided lwith an annular bottom ring 2, which may a ring of channel section. A rim flange 3 of this channel-section ring carries the bottom of the cathode pot. It is also provided w1th outlet 4 for removal of alkali solution. Lo-

cated within this vcontainer is a cathode pot,

which as shown is composed of an annular body of perforated or punched metal 5 carrying a diaphragm 6 of asbestos or the like. on its inner periphery. Strengthening bands 7 and 8 are provided at the top and bottom. Within this annulus is a bottom 9 which maybe of concrete or other suitable material and is provided with a recess' or depression 10 to 'accommodate the upturned flange of the bottom ring of the outer con.- tainer. At the top it is provided with a ring 11 or the like fitting closely the top the outer container and making a tight ]o1nt therewith by the aid of luting'11 of any suitable kind. The cathode carries current lead 12. So far as described, it' will be noted that the cathode pot is located within Athe outer container and 1s supported from its bottom. The top ring carr1ed by it fits'y accurately within the outer container and makes a tight joint therewith, luting being used if necessary. In -use the cathode pot is kept lled to a suitable height with a body of brine 13. Within this body'of brine depend a plurality of rod-like anodes of 1aphite or other form of carbon 14 passing' through and carried by a head or crown 15. A s shown, this cover is somewhat smaller in diameter than the outer container and is provided with lugs 16 making it a these lugs resting on the top of the outer container. This structure makes it convenient in use since it enables a crane to--piek it up readily. The ybottom of the cover is near the top of the upper ring and a tight joint therebetween is `readily made by the use of a little lute.. yAs shown, the cover is domed upwardly in the center, to' chlorin outlet 17. Aroundv this outlet the top/of the cover is flanged at 18v to provideA a convenient seal for connecting with a vertical chlorin ctgiduit (not shown). Current is suppliedtov` the anodes through connections 19. f' Brine may be supplied to the body otele'ctrolyte in the cell by conduit 20 provlded-fwith level adjusting overllow 21 and fed from a suitable source of brine 22.

That I claim is 1. In an electrolytic cell, a casingl, a diaphragm-carrying cathode therewit n and forming a partition between a cathode chamber and an electrolyte chamber, an anode within the electrolyte chamber, and a,

be flanged out'of the metal of the annulus or may be as shownA of j the space between cover sealing the top ber and carrying said anode, said cover being supported by the top of said casing.

2. In an electrolytic cell, a casing, a dia,- phragm-carrying cathode therewithin. and forming a partition between a cathode chamber and` an electrolyte chamber, an anode within the electrolyte chamber, and a cover'sealing the top of the electrolyte chamber and carrying said anode,.said'cover having projections resting on and supported by the top of said casing. ,A l

3. In an electrolytiecell, a casing open at the top and bottom, said bottom havin an inturned rimmed Hange, -an inner ho low metal cathode carrying a diaphragmC and spaced away from said casing, a bottom for the space within the cathode resting on said rimmed flange, a.. sealing ring carried by the -top of the cathode closing the space 'between the cathode and casing, a cover and supported thereby resting on the casing and adapted jto seal with sald ring and anodes within the electrolyte chamber car" ried by said cover. 4. In an electrolytic cell, a easing, a diaphragm-carrying cathode spaced from said of the electrolyte chamy casing and forming a partition between a cathodel chamber and an electrolyte chamber, a sealing ring carried by the top of the cathode closing the spacebetween the cathode and casing, a cover supported by the lcasin-g .and anodes within the electrolyte chamber carried by said cover.

5. In an electrolytic cell,.a casing, a diaphragm-carrying cathode spaced from said casing and Jrorming a partition between a cathode chamber and an electrolyte chamber, a sealing rim carried by the top of the cathode and closing the Space between the cathode and' casing, a cover, lugs-formed on the cover and resting on the casing and an anode within the electrolyte chamber car- Iried by said cover.

6. In an electrolytic Cell, a casing open at an inner hollow met-al the top and`bottom, cathode carrying a diaphragm and spaced from said casing, a bottom wall for the space within the cathode-supported at and by the bottom of said casing, a sealing ring carried 'by the top of the cathode closing the cathode and casing, anda cover resting on .the casin andsupported thereby and adapted to sea with said ring and anode within the electrolyte cham- 'ber carried b v said cover.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

LA FAYETTE D. 'VORCIL 

